The Song of the Oriole
The First Love Song of Korea
Goguryeo was a kingdom of hunters, riders, and kings who carved their victories into stone.
Yet even in that world of strength, hearts could still be broken.
King Yuri, son of Jumong, once loved a woman from China. For a time, their love brought joy to both lands—but distance and jealousy pulled them apart.
Some said she could not endure life far from home. Others whispered that court rivals poisoned their peace.
Whatever the cause, the mighty king was left alone.
One summer day, he walked through the palace garden, weighed down by sorrow.
Above him, two orioles sang together in the trees, their voices filled with affection. Yuri watched, tears glimmering in his eyes.
“They are together,” he murmured, “but I am alone.”
From his grief came a song—the *Hwangjoga*, or *Song of the Oriole*—the first love song remembered in Korean history.
Its simple verses spoke of longing and love lost, and they resonated through generations.
In it, the people saw not only a king’s pain, but their own—the ache of distance, of waiting, and of hearts that once beat as one.
The song endured through time, reminding all that Goguryeo was not just a land of warriors—it was also a land of hearts, where even a king’s sorrow could echo for centuries.
Original Song
Two birds fly side by side,
(翩翩黃鳥)
But I am left alone.
(雌雄相依)
Where is the one I love?
(念我之獨)
My heart longs and longs again.
(誰其與歸)
New Lyrics
Two birds fly side by side,
But I am left alone.
Where is the one I love?
My heart longs and longs again.
I watched you leave, standing on the fortress stone,
A story of love that the kingdom has known.
They see the King, the great warrior, the man of the wars,
They don't see the hole ripped right through my core.
Every scroll, every banner, every jewel feels cold,
My future is broken, my history untold.
Two birds fly side by side,
But I am left alone.
Where is the one I love?
My heart longs and longs again.
Two birds fly side by side,
But I am left alone.
Where is the one I love?
My heart longs and longs again.
Two birds fly side by side,
But I am left alone.
Where is the one I love?
My heart longs and longs again.
The lights of the capital city still burn bright,
But the halls are empty now, drowning in night.
I hear a faint whisper carried on the line,
A memory of your smile, that was once only mine.
I trace your name in the dust of the windowpane,
Knowing you'll never feel the warmth of my rain.
Two birds fly side by side,
But I am left alone.
Where is the one I love?
My heart longs and longs again.
Fly high, my love, go where your heart demands,
I search the ground, but hold only sand.
I should hate the mountain, hate the crown, hate the throne,
But I only hate the feeling of standing alone.
Two orioles in morning sun...
Their harmony is known...
But I am left alone...
My heart longs and longs again...